Microbes in Foods

• Microbes

Microbes, also known as microorganisms, include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoeba and slime mold. Many people think that microbes are just the cause of various diseases, but in reality everyone is the host of billions of microbes, and most microbes are vital to our lives.

• Common Uses of Microbes in Foods

Fermentation processes can be carried out in both artificial and nature conditions. For example, mankind has used yeasts, moulds and bacteria to make food products such as bread, beer, wine, vinegar, yoghurt and cheese, as well as fermented fish, meat and vegetables for thousands of years.

• Harm of Microbes in Foods

Food poisoning: Every year, millions of people in the United States get sick from eating contaminated food. People who are poisoned by food may experience upset stomach, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration. One of the most common causes of food poisoning is Salmonella, a type of bacteria, which can be found in contaminated eggs, poultry, meat, unpasteurized milk, juice, cheese, contaminated raw fruits, vegetables (alfalfa sprouts, melons), spices and nuts.

Spoilers: When microorganisms get in or on the food, the food will be broken, causing the appearance, taste and smell of the food to be disgusting. Moreover, some types of spoilage can be caused by pathogenic bacteria, which can present serious health hazards. For example, Clostridium perfringens (common cause of spoilage in meat and poultry) and Bacillus cereus (common cause of spoilage of milk and cream) are pathogenic. When foods are exposed to unsuitable storage conditions, such as the Danger Zone (between 40 and 140° F), these organisms will multiply rapidly and release dangerous toxins, which will make you sick if you consume the item, even if it’s cooked to a safe internal temperature.

Change of the final product: Different use of the same microbes can lead to different results. For example, wine vinegars such as red wine, white wine and balsamic vinegar are all started with a dilute wine and then fermented. Instead of using the bacteria fermenting sugars, as happens when the wine is made, bacteria from the acetobacter family is used to ferment alcohol and finally a whole new product is produced.

• Outbreak of Foodborne Disease

When two or more people get the same disease from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called an outbreak of foodborne disease. When it breaks out, these people will take action:

Local agencies: Most food borne outbreaks are local events. Public health officials from the health department just one city or county will investigate these outbreaks.

State agencies: The state health department often investigates outbreaks that spread across several cities or counties with the state department of agriculture and with federal food safety agencies.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): For outbreaks that involve large numbers of people or severe or unusual illness, a state may ask for help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC usually leads investigations of widespread outbreaks—those that affect many states at once.

Federal regulatory agencies: The CDC collaborates with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) throughout all phases of an outbreak investigation. In the case of an outbreak of food borne illness, these federal agencies work to find out why it occurred, take steps to control it, and look for ways to prevent future outbreaks. They may trace foods to their origins, test foods, assess food safety measures in restaurants and food processing facilities, lead farm investigations, and announce food recalls.

• Regulations for Microbes in Foods

In order to make sure that our foods are safe, governments have made regulations for food producers to follow. The one most widely used is made by the FDA, and all food additives derived from microorganisms must follow this regulation.

The table below shows a part of it, for more information please visit the FDA website https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/MicroorganismsMicrobialDerivedIngredients/default.htm

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